The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-08-18
COM'R HALLS ANSWER.
In which Mr.. Browning is Told
Some Very Pointed Things.
GENERAL LAND OFFICE,
AUSTIN, Texas, August II, 1887. !

Hon. j n Browning, Mobeete, Texas:
DEAR SIR-Your open letter to Governor
Ross, which has appeared in several Of
the great dailies, deserves some attention
1t is due to the public that it do not pas:
unanswered. Your reflections on the
writer, who especially is charged with thu
administration of the new land law
might, so far as he is concerned, remain
unnoticed. The law is before the people
and the manner and results of its execu
ton will be known of all men. But
it is well that the public be not misled or
made to suffer from misrepresentation
That you, who labored so persistently to
mar, mutilate and defeat che law
while it was being framed, should be
heard from at this juncture is not sur
prising. just at this time, when its wisdom
Is being vindicated ana its success almost
assured, 1t is not unexpected that you
should renew the attack. No man ever
wished for she success of a measure which
he had fought so bitterly as you did this
law. 1t is not human nature. The writer
is aware that you voted for the "bill' on
its final passage. Your vindication de-
mands its failure. And it is hoped, per
haps, that if public opinion, sufficiently
misled, could be now aroused a popular
clamor might follow which would effect
the steadfastness of the executors of this
law, and thus your original aims might
yet be gained.
This law is the will of the people, and
the commissioner is their servant. His
ambition is to administer it acceptably to
them and to the benef5 of the whole state.
His sworn duty is to administer it faith
fully. Now. to proceed to all
swer your letter specifically, he
must decline to give you the assurance
demanded that actual settlers be allowed
to purchase their lands at the minimum
price fixed by the law You cannot have
forgotten that an effort was made, many
members favoripg it, to put such pro-
vision in the law while it was under con-
sideration, but the legislature refused to
do so. Such an amendment actually
passed the house, of which you were a
member, but was afterwards reconsidered
How can you now, in advance of classifi-
cation, ask for such pledge, the giving
of which would indicate a disregard of
law and contempt for the peoples rep
resentatives.
The ''disquieting rumors" you mention
are to be regretted, but the commissioner
does not feel responsible for them. Can
he declare in advance at what price lands
will be sold, which he is required to
"cause to be skillfully classified
and valued?" He certainly cannot, al
though his ignorence of these lands is not
so "tOtal' AS you seem to believe. It was
mt tho rniScinnor yuh0 iOfD
"that he had no personal knowledge of
that country and its lands" The COM
missioner had visited that country and
himself surveyed tens of thousands of
acres of its lands many years before he
made your acquaintance, or before your
personal knowledge" of the Panhandle
began. And for months past he has been
informing himself further, from every
source available. He expects very soon to
receive valuable and accurate information
from the uninstructed classifer whom you
mention and who astonished you with his
ignorance. When he sends in the
description of the lands which he
has been directed to examine the
will have no difficulty
in causing them to be "skillfully CLASH
fed" and the public interest will not suf-
fer from the agents lack of previous
personal knowledge" He is practical
and educated surveyor, thoroughly COM
petent, and when he shall have put up the
corners and marked the lines of the school
lands in Hemphill and Lipscomb coun-
ties, the actual settler will be benefited,
although the business of the local sur
veyor may afterwards be slack. This |
work &c ID H.
pense of the railroad under the operation |
Of another law which you fought very bit
terly when it was "a BILL" This agent or
'lassifier, tits true, carried with him very
,ew instructions" but he carried enough.
lie Is ''instructed' to accurately and
describe each quarter of every
section, whether watered or dry, whether
lrablo or rocky and broken, whether
smooth, undulating or billy, whether poor
1r fertile; also all the information
le can gather as to land values in every
The commissioner will
hen "cause the same to be skillfully CLASH
led and valued" As before stated, it
AN not be told in advance what this vau-
tion will be, but it will be such as will
lot "retard the settlement of the coun-
ry;" it will be such as will not only en-
BILE, but will induce more and persuade
ctual settlers to take it. The interest of
he school fund demands this.
Now, for your complaint to the COVER
or that sit has been one month since this
ct took effect" etc. Is it not little IN
ind, if not unreasonable, to criticize the
commissioner for not having accomplished
lore? His duties are multitudinous and
is responsibilities tremendous. 1t
ertainly requires more than thirty
avs to prepare for sale nearly thirty
lillon acres of land, under law which
equires that they shall first be skiIfuIly
assified.
The commissioner might have furnished
on with copy of his rules and regula-
ons, if you had applied to Kim instead t
to the corresponding clerk" for thus /
ar he has found it Unnecessary to adopt and t
romulgate but one, to wit: at is ex- r
ressly understood that this lease is made d
Inject to classification and subject to the p
ghts of actual settlers under the law "
his opens to settlement every agricul- "
lral section as soon as it shall have been S.
assified, and secures the right of every Il
'tual settler who was on grazing section g
the fourth day of July to purchase CT
'ur sections of grazing lands so soon as &c
assitied, whether the same shall have al
zen previously leased or not n